Disability Support Program

Overview

Provides personalized, flexible disability supports for persons with disabilities in the development of their personal disability support plans. It allows for the provision of independent facilitation and the use of person centered approaches to planning and designing disability supports.

Eligibility

You may qualify for this program if:
- You are a resident of New Brunswick
- You are 19 to 64 years of age
- You have a long term disability (this does not include a medical condition that does not result in long term disability or services required to address drug, alcohol, nicotine or gambling addictions).
- You require disability related supports in order to address unmet needs and to establish or maintain your living arrangement in the community, to assist or enhance the capacity of your natural support networks to provide support in the community, or to help you participate in the community, thereby helping to avoid long-term inactivity and stress on yourself or your caregivers.
- You require disability related supports in order to address unmet needs and to assist or enhance the capacity of your natural support networks to help you personally or to help you participate in the community.

Description

Disability supports that might be provided under this program include:
- Home Support Worker
- Respite
- Personal supports and assistance within and outside the home
- Supports for community involvement and participation
- Personal living skills training
- Transportation supports that are disability specific
- Technical supports and assistive devices not covered under other programs
- Residential facility services

Some supports and services are currently provided under other government programs and will not be provided or funded under this program such as:
- Addiction services
- Vehicle retrofitting
- Major home adaptations or subsidized housing
- Mental health services
- Employment services (except if provided through ADAPT agencies)
- Child care services
- Income support
- Medical services or prescription drugs
- Residential facility services

There are 3 main ways the application and information gathering process can be completed
- by yourself or with help from your family or friends,
- with help from staff of this department, Mental Health
- with help from an independent facilitator

A financial assessment to determine your contribution towards the cost of approved disability supports will be completed. Your income will be considered in determining your financial contribution. There is no cost for the general facilitation services. If you do not agree with the decisions made by the department staff concerning your eligibility, financial contribution or your support plan, you may request an Administrative Review.

The Disability Support program has a two-pronged service delivery model which allows individuals to self-manage their case plan or request the support of a social worker. Individuals who opt for the self-managed model will initially meet with the department to determine their strengths and unmet needs to develop a case plan. The individual would manage the services to address their needs themselves thereafter. Individuals who request the ongoing support of a social worker will meet with the social worker to determine their strengths and needs to develop a case plan and then will receive regular contact, advocacy and support from the social worker.